EVERETT – You know the trap. You work downtown. It’s lunchtime and you’re hungry and in a hurry.
So it’s off to McFastFoods for a bag of what the writer Michael Pollan calls edible foodlike product – the pride of America’s food science industry, probably dispensed via the drive-through lane as your car idles away the gasoline and hydrocarbons.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
You’ll find a number of independent, family-owned eateries downtown that stand ready to serve you honest cooking.
One of them is the Mermaid Cafe, a cheerful place on Colby Avenue. This mother-daughter operation of Gabina Wiltshire and Mara Black promises, and delivers, fresh, homemade breakfasts and lunches that will fortify you for the hours ahead in the cubicle.
If you skipped breakfast before heading out the door for work, try a burrito stuffed with bacon, onions, peppers, mushrooms, scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheddar cheese, salsa and sour cream ($5.95). You’ll note that the cheese is real, not processed, and the bacon is neither disgustingly flabby nor overfried to an abrasive that shreds the roof of your mouth.
Or tuck into an order of homemade waffles for $4.95. They’re topped with whipped cream, powdered sugar and fresh fruit, so they’re a good bet if it’s a day off with the kids.
There’s also an assortment of scrambles, which you can customize ($6.95).
For lunch, you can build your own sandwich, have a salad (chef or garden), or try one of the daily combo specials. Recently that was a bowl of chili topped with cheddar and diced green onions, and a nice slab of cornbread, both of which were made on the premises.
Off the grill, try a ground-chuck burger on a homemade bun ($6.95). The same toasted bun also serves as a platform for a pulled pork sandwich and a French dip ($4.95).
The price for burgers and hot sandwiches goes to $6.95 if you want a side dish and a drink.
The eager-to-please owners will accommodate your need for vegetarian and vegan chow.
The Mermaid is an unprepossessing place where you’ll order at the counter and serve yourself from the soup tureens. There’s a collection of tables covered with brightly colored oilcloth-type tablecloths. We didn’t note a TV, which is a plus.
To-go orders are fine if you must eat at your desk. At least you’ll be eating food your grandmother would have recognized, well prepared by your friends and neighbors.
Herald restaurant reviewers accept no invitations to review, but readers’ suggestions are always welcome. Reviewers arrive unannounced, and The Herald pays their tabs.
Contact reviewers at features@heraldnet.com.
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